Valve for wind musical instruments



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

GUSTAVUS HAMMER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

VALVE FOR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 12,628, dated April 8, 1855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAvUs HAMMER, of the cit-y of Cincinnati, in thecounty of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in what is denominated Cylindrical Valves for SaxhornMusical Instruments, and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon, making part of this specification.

The nature of my improvement consists in the manner of working thevalves, for the purpose of preventing them from wearing out as readilyas they do when the common method of working them is employed, and atthe same time to get a uniform wear over all their surface.

The nature of my improvement, and the way I avoid theuneven wear of thevalve, is to make the attachment for working it, between the bearing andthe valve, thereby placing the power nearer the valve, which causes theforce to be exerted more evenly over its entire surface, which preventsany one part from wearing out before the rest; but all wears uniformlytogether.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention orimprovement, I will proceed to describeits construction and operation,by referring to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon.

Similar letters and figures refer to corresponding parts of theinstrument.

Figure 1, represents a longitudinal sectional view of a saxhorn musicalinstrument, with the improved cylindrical valves attached; but theimproved parts are not represented Vin this drawing-it is simply to showthe relation the valves have to the parts of the instrument. Fig. 2,represents a longitudinal sectional view of the improved valve. Fig. 3,is a transverse sectional View of the valve, in connection with thepiping of the instrument to which it is intended to be attached. Fig. 4is a top view of the instrument, showing the manner of working the same.Fig. 5 is a bottom internal view of the instrument, showing how thevalve is restricted in its distance of movement. Fig. 6 is a bottom viewof the valve.

The instrument in all its parts is made similar to other instruments ofthe same kind, with the exception of the manner of arranging and workingthe valves.

a represents the mouth-piece of the instrument, and B, C, and (l aredifferent pipes to which the valves 1, 1, 1, are partly attached, and bywhich the different notes are produced.

e, e, is that portion of the piping that is connected with the valves 1,1, 1, and which continues around and lconnects itself with the (la, 57,)trumpet portion of the instrument.

1, 1, Fig. 2, represents the valve, properly speaking, which is made towork in the cylindrical case 18, 18, and is worked by means of the bow15, string 16, which passes around the top of the valve as representedat 17 in Fig. 4, and is prevented from slipping by being held with thescrew 19. The valve is worked with the fingers, as usual, by means ofthe key 14, which is connected to the bracket 12.

18 is a spring used for forcing back the key after it has been shoveddown, the end of which is made to operate against the bracket 12, whilethe opposite end is connected to the upper part of the key 14. The valveworks on two bearings, one at each end; the upper end is made to work ina portion of the casing, as represented at 4; the valve at this end isfurnished with a steel pivot, 3, in order to produce a better wearingsurface, and at the lower part of the valve, its pivot is formed out ofa portion of the valve by turning it down to the right diameter, at 5;the lower part of the valve works in the guide plate 6, 6. This guideplate is used for governing the distance of the motion of the valve,which is effected, lirst by holding the guide plate in. one position bymeans of the pins 10, 10, which are fitted stationary to the plate, andmade to slip in notches cut in the case. This plate is provided with aslot, 7 in which the pin, 9, is made to work, which is attached to thebottom of the valve, and the valve is thereby limited in the extent ofits motion, by the length of the slot 7 in the guide plate. There iscork placed at each end 8, 8, of the slot, to prevent a rattling noisewhen the valves are moved. 11, 11, is the bottom piece of the valvecase, and is attached to itlby means of screwing it on to the barre 18.A

The valve 1, 1, is provided with two open- A ings cut transverselythrough the valve, near its center and opposite each other, on itssides; t-he direction of the Wind in the instrument is changed by themoving of the valves through these openings. In F ig. 3 there is asectional vieW of the valve in tWo different positions; one representedWith black ink 1, 1, and the other position With red ink 20, 20. Whenthe valve is in the position as represented in the case, 1, 1, the Windpasses through the instrument Without descending down through any of thebranches B, C, and cl, as represented in Fig. 1. But When it is desiredto Conduct the air down through any of the branches the valve is turnedto correspond With the second position, or that represented by the redink, and the air then passes through as repattached.

GUSTAVUS HAMMER..

/Vitnesses MARTIN BENSON, L. W. SMITH.

